RISER OF THE MONTH: ANDREA MONAHAN
Why did you choose RISE? I love the community feel and how everyone is so supportive and friendly. The downtown Glen Ellyn location is awesome and the classes and RISE Challenges are amazing. I am in the best shape of my life thanks to RISE. What are your short-term and long-term workout goals? Short term: to feel good and be more fit. Long term: staying fit and being happy and healthy. Aside from class format and
schedules specifically, what do you like about RISE? I LOVE the location, instructors, the RISE Challenge, fun merchandise, positive energy and ongoing motivation. It’s so nice to have a community atmosphere like Cheers--where everybody knows your name! Kettlebell is my favorite for a serious booty kick. But of course I am loving different classes all the time. What impact has exercise had on your lifestyle? Exercise has become a way of life for me. Ever since college, it has been a regular part of my daily/weekly routine. I always feel so much better and know I can conquer the rest of my day after exercising. What’s your biggest challenge in getting to class? My biggest challenge is waking up early during the school year! When I’m teaching. Equally as challenging is working around kids sports schedules. I am not a morning person, so waking up in the 4:00am hour is insane in my book. I would not wake up that early for anything besides Kettlebell, bootcamp and VACATION! What do you like to do with your spare time? In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with friends and family. Favorite activities other than exercise are shopping and doing anything active. I don’t like to sit and relax unless it’s on a beach. What’s your favorite junk food? Favorite junk food includes anything extra chocolaty. I also love to snack, so goat cheese, spinach artichoke dip, or other salty snacks. What’s your favorite healthy food? My favorite healthy foods are: sushi, vegetables, salads AND anything someone else will make for me. Any tips of your favorite recipe, healthy living, grocery or wellness apps or websites you couldn’t live without? Tips: I order my weekly groceries from peapod. It saves me so much time and effort, and also saves me from impulse buying at the grocery store. I also love to get fun ideas and recipes on Facebook and Pinterest. I follow well + good, Fit Foodie Find, Skinnytaste, Fooducate.com and 100 days of real food. I also love MyFitnessPal when I have to use it. What has been your very favorite vacation/trip? Where do you want to go? Favorite vacations have been anywhere with a beach. I also love active vacations that include hiking. But the ocean trumps all. Italy was amazing --Positano is my favorite spot. I have a long wish list that includes Hawaii, Napa, and really anywhere. I love vacation! Any tips you’d like to offer someone who is on the fence and needs that extra nudge to start a workout routine? Things that have worked for me that I would encourage others to do are: schedule workouts and commit. If you keep a positive mindset, then you just have to stick with it and follow through. I also love when I can find a friend to come with me to class. I pick up my friend Jess on a regular basis for the early classes (or any class really) and it helps us both stick to our workout schedules. Anything to add…. I have to put in a plug in for the Rise Challenge. This has helped me continuously accomplish my goals. They have kept my jeans fitting and my body feeling great. I will tell anyone who asks… If you do it, it will work. And my friend Jen is a true testament. In addition to weight loss, she’s gained a much healthier lifestyle that is most important. Commit and stick to it. It’s so great when we can all motivate each other.